How To Draw A Face Lesson

Begin by sketching the shape of the face and placing guidelines for eyes, nose, mouth, and ears.

The eye line should indicate where the eyes line up on the face, which will be on the center of the head for straight-on views. 

Draw simple lines for the neck as well.

Sketch the features on the guidelines. Begin with eyes, because all other features can be measured from the eyes. 

For example, eyes are about one eye-length apart from each other, the nose is usually about one eye-length down from the bottom of the eye to the top of the nostril, and the corners of the mouth line up with the middles of the eyes. 

Ears line up with the tops of the eyes and the bottom of the nose. When the features are in place, sketch the basic shape and direction of the hair and eyebrows.

Erase your guidelines and sketch lines so that you are left with a clean drawing of clear features and make any necessary adjustments to the shape of the face. Draw in the iris and pupils of the eyes, making sure to leave the highlights.

Shade the darkest areas of the face such as the pupils, underside of the nostrils, the corners of the mouth and the darkest parts of the hair. 

Using a blending tortillon or stomp, shade the mid grade areas such as the cheeks, forehead, chin and neck.

Make sure to keep the direction of your strokes the same, and always follow the shape of the plain you are shading. 

Pick out highlights with a kneaded eraser to finish the drawing.

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Warm Regards

Chris Elmore
Drawing Made Easy